


Bell Tolls Three

by MossadHuntinDog



Series: The Fliaanian Royals [1]
Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28421010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossadHuntinDog/pseuds/MossadHuntinDog
Summary: Orphaned at a young age. No memory to speak of. Ten years later, a young man tells her he can reunite her with her family- for a price. What starts out as a sham marriage, soon becomes real, but what will happen when she recovers her memory? Will he lose her forever?
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp/Fiyero Tigelaar
Series: The Fliaanian Royals [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081652
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rifiuto: Non Mirena
> 
> A/N: Written: 2005. Found: 2017.- Licia

_1918_

She was found wandering among the fields of Munchkinland, barefoot, in only a nightgown. Her long black hair was down around her shoulders in tangles, and she was shivering as the rains fell harder. Unaware of her injuries- mainly the cut on the side of her head- she continued to wander among the fields, soon becoming soaked through to the skin.

Eventually, she stumbled upon a house; firelight burning brightly in the windows. Hesitantly, she reached up, knocking softly at the door. Several minutes passed before the door opened. "Yes? Oh, sweet Oz!"

The woman was older, with long white hair pulled back in a bun on her head, and she wore red velvet robes; worn though they were, they still retained some of their beauty from years passed. Her dark eyes lit up at the sight of the child, and quickly, she rushed to the girl, pulling her close and leading her inside. As soon as the door shut behind them though, the child collapsed; either from exhaustion, the cold or something else, the woman wasn't sure. As she ordered one of the older children to fetch the doctor, she cradled the girl in her arms by the fire, confused by the quartet of emerald diamonds tattooed on the outer edges of each of her eyes.

They were the most peculiar things the woman had ever seen, and yet, they seemed oddly familiar to her. She knew that people of the Vinkus were often tattooed, however those were blue, not green...

"Mistress Morrible?"

She looked up from her examination as the doctor arrived. Laying the girl among the pillows on the sofa, she stood, backing away so he could examine the child. After a quick examination, the man turned to her.

"Is she going to be all right?"

"How did she come to be here?"

"I don't know. I opened the door when I heard a knocking and she was standing there in nothing but her nightgown. The poor thing must be near frozen, being out in that rain all night. And she has those... strange markings around her eyes..."

The doctor turned back to the child. He knelt down to study the diamonds. A moment passed as he gently brushed his fingers over them. It was clear what they were.

Tattoos.

This child bore four tattoos, two on either side of the outer side of her eyes. He'd never seen emerald diamond tattoos before. Not many people had.

* * *

"Fae! Come play with me, please!"

The child looked up from the book she was reading. Her long, raven hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, with a worn blue bow holding it together. The child was thin, which made her pale skin look even paler. It was discovered that the young girl was somewhat of a mystery; she possessed no memory of who she was, who her family was, where she came from, or how she had gotten to the orphanage.

The doctor diagnosed it as amnesia.

And there was no guarantee she would ever regain her memory.

With no memory of who she was, where she came from or how she ended up wandering the fields of Munchkinland that long ago day, the only thing the child could think to say when the doctor asked her in regards to her name was Fae. She wasn't sure why that name had come to mind, but it had.

She had been Fae ever since.

The other children at the orphanage adored her, despite the strange diamonds tattooed on her skin. Though at first she shied away from them, eventually, she had come to realize they weren't going to hurt her, and that some of them actually wanted to be her friends.

Two months had passed since her arrival at the orphanage. Morrible had looked after the child as best she could, attempting to pull her from her shell, but the girl spent the majority of her time in the meagre library the orphanage had, reading the books she had read a thousand times before. Occasionally, she would play with the other children, but the majority of the time, she kept to herself. And on the very _rare_ occasion that one of the children was adopted...

Then it was up to Morrible to go in search of the child; she often hid in the over-crowded attic, watching from the windows as the happy little family ventured out to start their new life together. Tears would slip down the girl's cheeks, and she would hug her knees to her chest, refusing all contact, her gaze never leaving the window. Long after the new family would leave, Fae would stay up in the attic, her gaze attached to the glass, as though she were searching for something or someone. As though she were hoping that the pieces of her missing memory would return to her if she waited by the attic window.

_"Please, Fae!"_

After a moment, the girl shut her book and put it aside. The ten-year-old got up from her chair, taking the younger girl's hand. She allowed the younger girl to pull her upstairs to her room to play. She took a seat on the child's bed, as the girl pulled out a raggedy looking little doll, and climbed into her lap. The child played for a while before asking,

"Fae? Where are your Mama and Daddy?"

The child sighed, wrapping her arms around the little girl. "I don't know Candle."

"You don't remember them?"

She met the child's blue eyes. "I don't remember anything, really. I just remember waking up and..." She shrugged. "I was here."

"Oh." Candle turned back to her doll before turning back to the older girl. "But don't you want to know who they are?"

The child thought a moment. "I... I would love to know that I had a family who was missing me."


	2. Chapter 2

_They ran through the halls, laughing and giggling, their long, dark hair flying out behind them. The white dresses they wore were light and airy, making them seem like fairies._

Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up; it was dark and silent, the only sound the wind outside. Silently, she climbed out of bed, making her way out of the room. The wood floors were cold, but she ignored them, continuing down the stairs until she got to the sitting area. A fire crackled in the grate, and after a moment, she moved towards it, stopping at the sight of a couple newspapers lying sprawled across the table. Snatching them up, she moved to sit beside the fire, and tilted the paper towards the light in order to read the heading.

_COUNTRY OF FLIAAN SUCCUMBS TO REVOLUTION!_

Fliaan? What was Fliaan? Where was Fliaan?

She had never heard of such a place. The only reason she knew she was in Munchkinland was because she'd been told by Mistress Morrible after the doctor finished examining her, not long after she'd awoken that night. The fire crackled and popped as she continued looking through the headlines.

_REPORTS THAT SAMRAAT AND FAMILY SLAUGHTERED IN THEIR BEDS_

Mass slaughter? Wherever this Fliaan was, she was glad not to be there. Even though she didn't know who she was or where she came from, or if she even had a family, at least she was safe in Munchkinland, and not trapped in a country going to destruction. At least Mistress Morrible kept a roof over her head and made sure she and the other orphans had something in their stomachs. Her gaze moved down to the smaller headlines.

_DAUGHTERS OF SAMRAAT RUMORED TO HAVE ESCAPED SLAUGHTER_

Beneath the headline, was a copy of a photograph. Four young girls stared out at her, all dressed in flowing white dresses, their dark hair pulled back and held with big white bows. The two oldest wore their hair up and out of their faces, while the two younger ones still wore their hair down; it tumbled down their shoulders in fountains of black, and on the outer edges of their eyes, were what appeared to be black smudges, but she couldn't tell for the newsprint.

_The four daughters of Samraat Frexpar and Samrãjñī Melena, rumored to have escaped the slaughter of their family- Left to Right: Sophelia, Oziandra, Elphaba, Nessarose_

Despite the grainy picture, they were very beautiful. And even though they were captured within a formal portrait, it was evident that the girls didn't look much older than her- perhaps the oldest was around eighteen or sixteen, and the youngest, most likely around ten or twelve. She couldn't imagine living in such luxury, only to have it taken away, and then having to flee-

"Fae?"

The girl looked up at the soft voice. Mistress Morrible stood over her, having slipped into the kitchen for a glass of water, and found the girl sitting by the fire, enraptured by the newspapers. The child dropped the papers at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Mistress Morrible-"

"No, it's quite all right, Fae. But shouldn't you be in bed? It is early, and you need your sleep, all children do."

"I couldn't." The woman nodded, helping the child up and taking her into the kitchen, where she fixed a meagre cup of tea and set it before the girl at the table. The child had gathered the newspapers to her chest and now set them down on the table between them. She sipped her tea in silence, as Morrible looked over the articles, the doctor's words ringing in her head. It had been nearly four months since the child had arrived at her doorstep, and in that time, the doctor had come to a couple conclusions about the girl; conclusions that were shaky at best.

_"Though she looks to be about ten years of age, I believe that she is closer to thirteen or fourteen. When I first examined her that night, I was surprised to discover how exceedingly thin she was- as though she had been held captive and starved for weeks or even months. She may appear to be the age of ten, but her development- even stunted- is closer to that of a young girl in the early years of puberty."_

As Morrible sat across from the girl, she believed the doctor was right; though the girl was thin, she was slightly more developed than children of ten or even twelve years. She also seemed to possess an air about her that was tinged in fear, as though she'd lived through something she never wished to witness again.

_"The markings around her eyes are just as mysterious now as they were that first night I examined them. They are clearly tattoos, but they are unlike any I have ever seen before. The Arjiki of the Vinkus tattoo themselves with diamonds of blue, not green, and they get nowhere near the eyes, for they believe the eyes are the windows to the soul, and to tattoo there would be to close those windows forever. No, these markings are evidently from some faraway land- perhaps the Quox or Ev, somewhere we have never dared explore. Perhaps they are even the markings of a people far across the mythical ocean, but we may never know."_

"Do you think they survived?" Morrible looked up, wrenched out of her thoughts by the girl's question.

"I'm sorry, Fae, I didn't hear you. What did you ask?"

The girl nodded to the photograph of the Emperor's daughters. "Do you think they survived, like the reports say?"

Morrible turned her gaze to the photograph in the paper. Four innocent faces stared back at her, children who had grown up in the lap of absolute luxury, most likely now forced to live in squalor just to survive the very revolution that was said to have killed their parents and younger brother, Shell. But their survival- if any- would not be known until the revolution was over and things in Fliaan were back under control, whoever's control that would be, Emperor or common man.

"If they _have_ survived, then the Unnamed God himself is keeping a very close eye on them."


	3. Chapter 3

_1928_

Her fingers moved quickly, working her long black hair into a plait that fell thick down her back. Once done, she quickly washed her face before slipping out of the bathroom and making for what had once been her bedroom. While most orphans left once they hit eighteen, she had stayed, preferring to help Mistress Morrible care for the younger children.

And then last night, she had been taken aside, and a small square of cloth with several coins pressed into her hand. Though she was a big help with the children, Morrible understood that it was Fae's time to find her own life, away from the orphanage, perhaps in the Gillikin or the Glikkus or even the Emerald City. At twenty-four, the girl looked about eighteen, but she was a hard worker, and despite the fact that she possessed no memory to speak of, she was a pleasant girl, though quiet.

Once everyone got over the strange green diamonds tattooed by her eyes.

As she pulled on the ratty, worn coat she had received for Lurlinemas one year, the older woman entered the room, watching the girl she had grown rather fond of over the last ten years prepare to make her way in the world. Fae had grown into quite a beautiful young lady, she noted silently. From the girl's pin-straight long hair, black as a raven's wing, to her small features and dark eyes, she could have appeared on the cover of a lady's magazine. Still thin as ever, her curves were there, though they were difficult to see. She had certainly grown up in the ten years she'd been at the orphanage.

"Are you sure I can't stay, Mistress Morrible?"

The older woman shook her head as the girl pulled on a pair of gloves that she'd cut the fingers off of, and then wound the grey scarf she'd received as a Lurlinemas gift the year before, around her neck. The last thing she grabbed was her cap- a worn out cap forgotten by one of the newsboys as they'd delivered the paper one day that Fae had quickly taken possession of- and slipped it onto her head.

"It's time for you to make your way in the world, Fae. You can't stay here any longer. You need to make your own life now."

"But I don't even know who I _am_ , let alone where my life should be-"

Morrible gently laid a hand against the girl's cheek. Of all the orphans she had cared for over the years, she felt closest to Fae; perhaps it was because she possessed no memory of who she was before that rainy night ten years earlier. Perhaps it was because she saw some of herself in the girl. Either way, it tugged painfully at her heart to turn the girl out, but she knew that in the long run, it was what was best for Fae.

"You will find your life, and make it your own."

The girl shook her head. "But Mistress Morrible-"

The two made their way out of the orphanage, but stopped on the stoop. Gently, Morrible took the girl's face in her hands, smiling softly at her.

"Your life is yours to make. Whatever you wish, Fae." She then pressed a kiss to the girl's head, and slipped back inside. "It's time to take your place in life. I know you will do well."

* * *

She somehow managed to make it to Nest Hardings. The Munchkinland city wasn't as big as the Emerald City, but it was certainly the biggest city Fae had ever seen. There was so much activity, she had trouble taking it all in. Eventually, she slipped into what appeared to be a small coffee shop and took a seat at a table, catching her breath, oblivious to the stares she received. A newspaper lay on a nearby table and she grabbed it, deciding to preoccupy herself with the headlines while she figured out what to do exactly.

_"... if they did survive, then there's a good chance the monarchy will be restored..."_

_"... innocent children, slaughtered in their beds... how anyone could survive that is near impossible!"_

_"Miraculous is what it is- if they actually have survived..."_

_"... it's been ten years. I doubt any of the missing royals would have hidden out for ten years-"_

_"... with all the unrest in Fliaan, of course they would hide out! Hiding would be the safest thing for them to do-"_

Her attention moved from the hushed whispers floating around the coffee shop to the heading on the newspaper, and suddenly she understood _why_ such whispers were going around.

_FLIAAN ROYAL FAMILY REPORTED SLAIN; RUMORS THAT TWO ROYAL CHILDREN SURVIVED_

Two children possibly having survived? Ten years after the family was supposedly slaughtered in their beds as the country burned? Though the article didn't state which children they thought survived, there was a good chance it was the boy and one of the four daughters.

She sighed, setting the paper down and pulling out the few coins Mistress Morrible was able to give her. She had just enough to... well, she wasn't sure what she had just enough for. Though at the moment, the only thing that sounded good was a cup of coffee; something hot to warm her bones and give her enough time to think of what she would do next. After ordering her coffee, she returned to her chair and removed her coat, scarf and hat, waiting. Once the coffee was made, she was up in a few seconds, rushing over to take the cup and saucer from the woman who had made it, only to have someone else grab it at the same time.

"Excuse me, but that's mine."

"No, I ordered it, therefore it belongs to me-"

She looked up, finding herself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

_Those eyes... they were breath taking... and so... so... familiar..._

He quickly snapped out of it when she tugged the cup and saucer out of his hands and quickly retreated back to her table. "Hey!" But she ignored him, taking a seat and returning to the newspaper on her table. He skidded to a stop before her table, hastily adjusting his coat and straightening his hat. "Do you mind if I sit?" Those same dark eyes that he'd been so entranced with a few moments ago slid up to stare at him over the rim of the cup.

Silence fell between them, before she set the cup down. "Why? I told you, this is my cup of coffee. I bought and paid for it on my own!"

"Whoa, whoa, there's no need to get so defensive." He held up his hands. "I'm Fiyero. I just wanted to know if I could sit down. We could... you know, talk?"

The girl studied him for several minutes, before gesturing for him to take the seat across from her.

"Fae."

He was taller than her, with sandy-colored hair and dark eyes, a dark blue scarf wrapped around his neck. They sat in silence for several minutes before he once again opened his mouth. "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

Her gaze moved from the newspaper she was reading to his face, and after a moment,

"I've never been here before."

"Oh." He glanced down at the newspaper heading, before returning his gaze to hers. "Well, where are you headed?"

The girl shrugged. "I... I don't know. I... I was kind of hoping I could find my family... or... discover if I ever even _had_ a family." It was then that she removed her cap, setting it on the table beside her, and his eyes widened at the green diamonds on the outer edges of her eyes. She furrowed a brow, casting him a quizzical look. " _What_ are you staring at?"

"I'm sorry Fee, I just... can't get over those markings near your eyes."

"F _ae_. F-ay." She pronounced slowly, hoping he'd understand. And then she registered what he'd said and reached up, brushing her fingers against the diamonds by her right eye, suddenly self-conscious. "You know about these?"

He shrugged, gently tugging the paper towards him to read the headlines. "I know _of_ diamond tattoos because my people do them, but we don't tattoo near the eyes." His gaze skimmed the paper, coming soon to rest on the photographs of the royal children presumed left alive after the massacre of their family. Though the photo was grainy as most black and white copied photos were, it was evident who the papers were referring to.

The boy, the _Samraatik_ Shell, and one of his sisters- the middle girl, _Kauri_ Elphaba.

"And how would you know about tattoos?" She asked, unaware that his gaze was focused on the photo of the royal children.

"Simple," He whispered, studying the photograph closer. "I'm from the Vinkus." Unbeknownst to him, her eyebrows shot up.

"The Vinkus?" He finally met her gaze, nodding. "What's it like?"

A shrug. "It's... the Vinkus. Not much to tell."

"But... it's your home."

He snorted softly, turning his gaze back to the images in the newspaper. "It was a place I once lived. End of story."

"Well, don't you miss it?" He met her gaze briefly.

"Miss what?"

"The Vinkus."

"Like I said, it was a place I once lived."

"Oh." Her gaze followed his back to the newspaper. "I think... that I would like to to the Emerald City, but... I don't know how to get there."

"The Emerald City? Why?"

She shrugged. "I was... kind of hoping maybe I could find my family."

It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. "You don't have a family?"

"If I do... I don't remember them."

He leaned forward. "And you think they might be in the Emerald City?"

She met his gaze. "... maybe? I... I don't really know, I..."

"Hold on, let me get this straight- you don't remember if you have a family?"

"Not really. I've been thinking... if I could go to the Emerald City, then, I might be able to find them and..." She reached up, rubbing the diamonds beside her eyes. "And find out who I am."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Who you are? How do you not know who you are?"

She shrugged, wrapping her hands around her cup. "I don't. I... well, according to... to Mistress Morrible at the orphanage, I was found wandering in the fields around outer Munchkinland near her orphanage when I was about... fourteen or so with no memory of who I was or where I came from, who my family is or what my name is, and only these diamonds." She motioned to the four diamonds on her face.

"You showed up at an orphanage when you were fourteen?" She nodded. His gaze flicked back to the image of the royal children. He quickly did the math in his head; the Fliaanian revolution had been back in 1918, when the children were in their late to preteens. The middle daughter had been about fourteen at the time of the revolution. And if she had survived, like the newspapers were claiming, then that would make her about... "Twenty-four."

She furrowed a brow. "I'm sorry?"

"You're roughly twenty-four, right? If you showed up at that orphanage at fourteen, then now you're roughly twenty-four, the same age as that missing Fliaanian grand princess."

"I guess I am. I..." She lapsed into silence, staring into her cup before, "Would you be willing to take me?"

"Take you where?"

"To the Emerald City? So I... I could maybe find my family?"

He pretended to think a moment, glancing down at the article again before meeting her anxious gaze. There was a reward for the children being returned to their grandmother- over sixty-thousand kentals. That would be more than enough for him to make a good life away from the Vinkus, especially since he would no longer be considered part of the family anymore, especially if he didn't fulfil what was expected of him...

... and maybe, just maybe, if he could convince this girl, then he could convince the dowager empress...

"All right, Fae. I'll take you to the Emerald City so you can find your family, but you have to do something for me."

She lit up, reaching out to take his hand in a firm shake. "It's a deal, Fiyero!" He pulled his hand away, surprised at the strength of her handshake. "Wait, what do I have to do?" He glanced back down at the portrait of the missing children before looking back at her, a charming smile sliding onto his lips.

"Marry me."


	5. Chapter 5

"Marry you? But we hardly _know_ each other!"

She stood, quickly gathering her things and the newspaper and storming for the door. He stood as well, rushing after her.

"I'm well aware of that, Fae, but if you would just hear me out-"

"Hear you out why? Is this some kind of... of con? Well, newsflash, but I don't have anything that's worth anything that you would want, Fiyero!"

Finally able to catch up, he darted in front of her, managing to stop her in her tracks. "Fae, please, just hear me out, okay?" She moved to step around him but he mirrored her; an action that went on for several minutes before she finally huffed in annoyance and gave up. "Please?"

"Fine." She crossed her arms, waiting. _"Well?"_

He took a deep breath, removing his cap and running a hand through his hair, trying to decide if she would believe what he was going to tell her, and then decided that at that moment, it was too unbelievable for even him to believe, so he decided against it. "Look, you want to find your family, right?" She nodded. "Well, wouldn't it be easier to be able to get information on your family if you've got a spouse there to back you up?"

No matter how much she disliked the plan, he did have a point. As long as she was alone, no one would listen to her, and certainly not give her information in regards to whether or not she had a family, no matter how she begged. Just from her brief few hours in Nest Hardings, it was clear that orphans like her were regarded as nothing more than dirt, but if she were a married woman...

If she were a married woman, she'd be treated at least better than if she remained an orphan. And from her observations, it was clear that women who had husbands were at least slightly more respectable than the lowly orphan she herself was. Even women who were single but had better reputations that she were treated better.

Mistress Morrible's words came back to her...

_You will find your life and make it your own... It's time to take your place in life... it is yours to make, whatever you wish._

She wished to find her family, her identity, her past... but maybe, in order to find her past, she had to first have a future.

"I... I guess you're right. I mean... no one's going to believe a lowly orphan if she goes poking around for information on her family, but if I had a husband, then people might actually listen to me and be willing to help." She met his gaze. "So... where exactly do we get married?"

* * *

With only the judge presiding and the secretary, they were married in the courthouse of Nest Hardings that afternoon. Marriage license in hand, the pair rushed out into the street after the ceremony was over, all anxious nerves and excitement. She stepped off the sidewalk onto the street to cross, only to be pulled back by Fiyero as one of those horseless carriages rolled by, kicking up dust and exhaust. She buried her face in his chest to avoid the dust, and he chuckled softly. Once the carriage- "It's called a car, Fae. Haven't you ever seen one up close?"- passed by, he took her hand as they dashed across the street towards the same coffee shop they'd met at.

They settled at a table, sipping cups of coffee and munching on pastries. "So.. what do we do now?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She swallowed the bite she'd taken, and met his gaze. "What exactly do married couples do?"

It took a moment for Fiyero to thing of an appropriate answer. He sat back, crossing his arms over his chest and taking a few minutes to gather his thoughts. "Well, they do what any other married couple does. They make a home together, and start a family, I guess, and... spend the rest of their lives together."

"Oh." They fell into silence for several minutes before she finally glanced at him. "Do... do we have to... start a family now?"

"Oh, Lurline, no. There's no need for us to start a family right now."

"Good."

"Besides," He reached over, taking her hand. "we were going to find your family, remember?"

She grinned. "Right. So... when can we leave?"

A brow furrowed. "Leave?"

"For the Emerald City, remember! If I'm going to find my family, then they've got to be in the Emerald City."

He chuckled and stood, holding out a hand. "Right. But first we need to get a few things to take with us-"

She glanced down at the clothing she wore, before reaching up and taking his hand. "I don't have much. I didn't have many clothes when I lived at the orphanage; what I did have, I wore out, with the exception of what I'm wearing- and at the orphanage, these are considered new." He quickly looked her up and down, before tucking her hand into the crook of his arm and leading her out of the coffee shop.

"Don't worry, we'll get you a few things before we leave. You can't go around wearing those clothes until they turn to rags, especially if we're going to the Emerald City. You need to look your best if we're going to find your family."

Fiyero led them down the sidewalk, towards his small flat, but Fae stopped in front of the window of a dress shop. He followed her gaze; the dress on the mannequin was a beautiful, long-waisted emerald green day dress with short sleeves and pink flounces on the back and sides. Despite the pink, she was transfixed by the cut of the dress; it was unlike anything she'd ever seen. After a moment, he waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry?"

"Do you want to try it on?" She turned back to the dress.

"I couldn't. It's probably way too expensive."

He tugged her towards the door of the shop. "Actually, I think this shop is one of the cheaper in Nest Hardings. And besides, trying a dress on never hurt anything."


	6. Chapter 6

The shopkeeper gave the young couple a strange look when they first entered the shop, but upon Fiyero's request to see the dress, he removed it from the mannequin and allowed Fae to try it on. Once she had it on, she turned towards the mirror, and gasped softly.

She'd never seen anything so beautiful in her life, and now she was wearing it. Despite the pink flounces, the dress itself was very pretty; it hugged her slight curves and the short sleeves stopped at just below her shoulders. The dropped waist of the dress settled on her hips, and the skirt fell to just above her knees. After a moment, she pushed the curtain aside and stepped out of the dressing room, to find Fiyero studying an emerald green cloche hat with a black ribbon around the brim that ended in a bow on the left side.

She softly cleared her throat, and he turned, his study forgotten as his gaze fell on Fae.

His mouth dropped as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a blush appearing on her pretty cheeks. The dress certainly did wonders for the girl, who, at first meeting, had seemed like such an ugly duckling. Perhaps it was the clothing she had worn; they didn't exactly do her wonders, and even though they were the only things she possessed, they were about the homeliest things he'd ever seen on a woman. But this dress...

"Wow. You... you look..."

"Is it that bad?" She asked, glancing down at the dress.

"No, no! Not at all! It's very... it looks... I mean... it... it looked very nice on the mannequin, but... but it looks even better on you." He swallowed, seeing her blush, and wondered why she didn't blush more often. "You... you should..." He wrung his cap in his hands, stepping closer to her. "You should try it on. You really should." Her blush deepened, before she met his gaze, a wiry smile tugging at her lips.

"I am trying it on."

It was his turn to blush as he realized his mistake, and he quickly turned his gaze away; it landed on the hat he'd been looking at earlier. "Right. I... I knew that, I... I just meant..." Quickly, he went over and picked the hat up off the shelf and held it out to her. "I meant that... that you should try it on with this." He held out the hat, and after a moment of studying it, she took it, glancing at him before trying the hat on and looking up at him.

"Well? What do you think?"

His eyes widened; besides the black boots she wore- which she'd probably had since her time at the orphanage- the hat really helped to pull the entire look together. She seemed to have the striking looks of the flappers that were said to spend their nights partying at the clubs in the Emerald City. She was certainly a beauty.

"I think... I think you should get it."

A blush crept back into her cheeks, and she quickly retreated to the dressing room, pulling the curtain in front of her. "I can't. A dress like this is far too expensive, and it's meant for someone much higher in life's station than me." She slowly undressed, a slight twinge of sadness filling her as she took off the dress and returned it to the hanger before returning to her regular clothes. Her fingers grazed wistfully over the dress one last time, before she grabbed her things and pulled back the curtain. She nodded to the shopkeeper, who came to collect the dress and return it to the mannequin.

"You looked quite striking in that dress, Miss. Shall I ring it up for you and your husband?"

A startled look crossed her face momentarily before she remembered that she and Fiyero were indeed married, and shook her head. "No thank you. We can't afford something like that." And without another word, she left the shop, but Fiyero stayed behind for a moment. He'd seen the dejected look on her face, and decided that maybe he could make up slightly for talking her into this marriage.

"Excuse me, sir, but how much is that dress?"

The shop owner quickly studied the dress for several minutes. "One hundred, but since that dress has been sitting in the window for the last eleven months... if you really want that dress for your wife, then I can get it down to about... fifty?" Fiyero raised an eyebrow, surprised that a dress of that quality would be sold for such a low price.

The shopkeeper chuckled softly. "That dress was made before the Fliaanian revolution. It was brought here with one of the royal refugees when they fled the country; the woman sold it to me because she needed money. I tried selling it not long after I bought it, but it wouldn't sell. I haven't been able to sell it since. I don't think people are in the mood for dresses of that type- at least, not out here in Nest Hardings. Perhaps in the City, but not out here, where people struggle to get by."

The younger man bit his lower lip, realizing that the older man was speaking about members of the Fliaanian royal family. "My wife and I are going to the Emerald City for our honeymoon. I think that dress would be perfect for her."

The shopkeeper carried the dress to the counter, and rang it up; Fiyero rushed back and grabbed the hat he'd had Fae try on with the dress earlier. In total, the entire purchase came to roughly sixty dollars; it was evident that things once belonging to the Fliaanian royals were no longer hot sells- perhaps after the revolution, but now, ten years later? Clearly not. As he accepted the bag with the boxes in it, he gave the older man a soft nod.

"Congratulations on your marriage." He gave the older man a quick smile as he existed the shop. Fae, by then, had wandered a little further down the street, and he quickly made sure to hide the boxes behind his back as he caught up with her. With a soft nod, they continued down the street, finally reaching the old, abandoned Corn Exchange.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a fairly small space- big enough for one person, perhaps two, she noted.

There was a small potbelly stove in the corner, and what appeared to be a bedroll in the other corner. A couple of crates stood in as a table, and there were a couple chairs with it in the center of the room. A small lavatory was behind the only door, and she turned to him as he shut the door.

"So... this is your home?"

"This is where I live, but it's never been my home." He replied, moving past her and setting the bag he carried on the makeshift table before quickly grabbing a few things.

"What's that?" She moved towards it, reaching out to investigate, but his voice stopped her; she looked up as he joined her, a small suitcase in one hand and a knapsack slung over his shoulder.

"Call it a wedding present for my bride." He whispered, nodding for her to open it. A moment passed before she did, slowly opening the hatbox that sat tucked at the bottom of the bag. She gasped slightly at the sight of the green cloche, and he grinned, waiting for her to open the other box. If that was her reaction to the hat-

Her mouth dropped and she turned to him, eyes wide, upon seeing the dress she'd tried on earlier that day. "But... how... this... this must have cost a fortune..."

"Not that much at all. The shopkeeper said that a former Fliaanian royal sold it to him about ten years ago, after escaping the revolution. He'd tried to sell it, but no one would buy it, especially now. I think he was actually relieved to see it go, to be honest."

"And you bought it? For me?" He nodded. "But... but I don't have anything for-"

He held up a hand. "Seeing you smile is the only gift I need. Now, how about we put those things in this, and head out? We are going to the Emerald City, after all."

* * *

The walk to outer Nest Hardings wasn't long; Fiyero informed her that they were going to take one of those horseless carriages out of the city, as far as the driver would take them. Once settled in the back of the car, Fae turned to him. "How long is it going to take to get there? Won't the... car run out of fuel?"

The driver chuckled. "These cars are sturdy things, Miss. All's really needed is a wind up occasionally, and she can go for days."

"We won't take the car the entire way there, Fae. Once we get to the Glikkus, we'll catch a train, which will take us into Gillikin, and then from there we'll catch another train, which will take us to the small town of Shiz, and from there, we'll take a bus, or another car."

"Oh." They lapsed into silence as the car started and they drove off, each keeping to their specific side of the car, lost in thought. Occasionally, he would glance at her, and find himself completely taken aback by her dark eyes meeting his. They managed to make several miles by the time they stopped in Center Munch to stretch their legs and get a meager meal of soup and coffee that constituted as dinner- for there wasn't much open in the evening in Center Munch, especially in the outskirts of the small city as they were.

After dinner, they continued their drive; they were making good time, the driver informed them, and would be in Upper Applerue by the next afternoon. From there, they would walk into the Glikkus- because the train station was on the border between Munchkinland and the Glikkus, so it wasn't that far from the small town they would be dropped off in.

At one point during the drive, sleep took hold of Fae, and she shifted closer to Fiyero, resting her head on his shoulder. He glanced down at her sleeping form, chuckling softly to himself. He wrapped an arm around her, she snuggled closer to him in her sleep at the contact; after a moment, he leaned down, brushing a light kiss to her head.

While she slept, Fiyero watched the countryside pass by, lost in thought.

He'd only known this girl a few hours, and yet, here he was, already married to her, on his way to the Emerald City. Sure, they were going to find her family, to recover her past, and help her find out who she truly was, but there was a part of him who couldn't help hoping that what he'd told the shopkeeper would be true- that they would spend their honeymoon there, enjoying the sights and sounds of the City of Emeralds as it was so aptly nicknamed.

And possibly, trick the dowager empress into believing that he'd found her missing granddaughter.

But there was that tiny, tiny part of him that secretly hoped she wouldn't be the missing grand princess; that she was just some ordinary girl with no memory of her past. That the diamonds on her face were nothing more than an accident; that perhaps she'd been held captive as a child, and the diamonds added to differentiate her from others, or that she was from a long-lost tribe, perhaps from the deserts of Ev or the woodlands of Quox.

And if she _was_ the grand princess? The missing middle daughter, Elphaba? If she was Elphaba, then that would mean the rumors were true, and two of the children had survived the slaughter of their family ten years ago. And if that was so, then where was the boy? The heir, Shell? If they somehow managed to pull this off, and she really was Elphaba, then the boy should have survived to-

Fae shifted closer, and he was drawn out of his thoughts, his gaze turning back to her. She was just an innocent girl, and he was using her for his own personal gain... but if he was somehow right, and she was the princess...

He shook his head, not even wanting to entertain such possibilities.


	8. Chapter 8

They reached Upper Applerue with ample time to spare late afternoon the next day. After paying the driver and bidding him goodbye, Fiyero took her arm, guiding her slightly sleepy form towards the border between Munchkinland and the Glikkus.

"Fae, Fae, look."

She blinked several times to clear the last of the sleep from her eyes, turning to where he was pointing. Not far from where they stood- on the very border of the Glikkus- was a good-sized train station, and just beyond it, she could see a big, black locomotive, waiting to take off. As they made their way towards the station, she couldn't help but ask,

"Are we really taking that?"

Fiyero chuckled at her childlike innocence. "You're acting as though you've never ridden a train before."

"I haven't. At least... I don't think I have. And if I have, I don't remember."

He shook his head, smiling at her, and resting a hand on the small of her back, he guided her into the station. Once inside, Fae wandered off, looking around, while Fiyero bought the tickets.

She picked up a newspaper, silently skimming the headlines.

_DOWAGER EMPRESS REJECTS ANOTHER GIRL CLAIMING TO BE GRAND PRINCESS ELPHABA_

She furrowed a brow. Another girl? But if the royal children had survived, why would the dowager empress reject her own granddaughter? Unless she had yet to actually see her real granddaughter...

_"Grandmama always brings us dolls. I am too old for dolls."_

The photo of the dowager empress was clearly one from the days when the dynasty was still in power, for though the photo was grainy, it was evident she decked out in the finest of jewels.

_"A diary. Oh, Grandmama, it's beautiful! Thank you!"_

She furrowed a brow, completely confused. Nowhere did it say in the article anything about a diary, yet, for some reason, that was the first thing she'd thought of. She had never kept a diary before- or so she thought. She couldn't remember. If she had, she had no memory of it.

A hand on her arm caused her to jump, and she turned to find Fiyero at her side, two train tickets in his grasp. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Are you ready? They're boarding now." She nodded, and after a moment, dug into her pocket for a few cents and paid the man for the newspaper. She then took his hand, allowing him to lead her out to the train platform, where the conductor was allowing passengers to board. Once they handed the conductor their tickets, they moved down the corridor, in search of a compartment-

"How about this one?" Fiyero stopped beside her, poking his head into the compartment before shrugging and stepping aside, allowing her to enter first. Since the train was a fairly new edition to the Glikkus, all passengers paid the same, which meant that even what would be considered the 'wealthier' cars on trains that had been running for years, could be used by all passengers, regardless of status or wealth- be them sleeper cars or the dining car, everything was included when the ticket was purchased.

Once inside the small compartment, Fae looked around. For such a small car, there was a good amount of space. There was but a single bed, against the far corner, with a small end table attached to the wall beneath the window, and a small area to store suitcases across from it. As Fiyero set their bags down, Fae took a seat on the bed, suddenly nervous. "It's... nice."

"Nice?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, this is certainly better than the orphanage I grew up in." She giggled nervously. He chuckled, biting his lip, before,

"Are you hungry? How about we go get dinner?" She nodded, relieved though she couldn't name why.

"Oh, um... I think I might change, if that's okay? Everything looks so nice and-" He nodded, understanding.

"I'll go get us a table, if you'd like." An eager nod met him, and after a moment, he slipped out of the compartment, shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Fae pulled out the dress he had bought her, studying it. It was truly a beautiful dress, if not for one glaring issue, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She studied it for several minutes, before finally realizing what was so wrong about the dress.

The pink flounces.

She dug around in the suitcase for a moment, before locating a pair of scissors and a small sewing kit that Fiyero had brought with them, and turned to the offending material in question. As she carefully snipped the threads, she wrinkled her nose.

"Pink does _not_ go good with green."

Once done, she balled the offending pink material up and shoved it into the hatbox after removing the cloche, and quickly undressed. The material was smooth as the dress slid against her skin, and she quickly redid her braid before putting the hat on. Then, she slipped out of the compartment and made her way to the dining car. It took a few moments, but she was finally able to locate Fiyero. He immediately stood when she reached him, holding out a chair to her. Once they were both seated, he leaned towards her.

"You look absolutely stunning, Fae." She smiled softly at him, opening her mouth to speak, just as the waiter arrived and took their order. After their meals arrived, she couldn't help asking about something that had been on her mind all day.

"How can you afford to do this? All of this? Where do you get the money?"

He took a sip of his water before speaking. "I've spent the last several years scrimping and saving as much as I could. Working odd jobs, selling the few important things I possessed that I knew would be worth something."

"But... you're from the Vinkus. You must have-"

"I may be from the Vinkus, but I'm not what you think at all. My father taught me to value hard work, and appreciate everything I earned. End of story."

She met his gaze, having so many more questions, but knowing that the last thing she should do was push.


	9. Chapter 9

After returning to their compartment and changing into their pajamas, Fae took a seat on the floor by the bed and proceeded to brush out her hair. She hummed softly to herself, unaware of Fiyero's watching her when he returned from brushing his teeth. Her melody stopped as the brush caught on a particularly painful knot, and she hissed, snapping her eyes shut. After a moment, Fyero moved towards her and held out his hand. She looked up at him.

"Give me the brush." Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she did as instructed, and shifted to the side, as he took a seat behind her. Slowly, he began working the brush through the thick raven strands, being careful not to tug when he got to the knots. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. She sighed in contentment, her eyes closing.

_She sat on the stool, the hand mirror held tight in her grasp; she watched as the maid worked the brush through her hair and pulled the front strands of hair back, securing them at the top of her head with bobby pins, so that the front of it poofed up slightly. The maid then grabbed a blue ribbon and threaded it through the hair, tying it quickly, so that it lay against the black hair._

_"There, all done, Miss."_

"All done." Her eyes snapped open, and she slowly turned to face him.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said I'm done." He held the brush out to her and she took it. "Anything else you'd like me to do?"

Slowly, she shook her head, holding the brush to her chest as he got up and turned proceeded to turn down the bed they were going to share. She shivered, not sure if it was from what had just flashed through her mind or if it was from the fact that she would be sharing a bed with a man for the first time in her life. Granted, he _was_ her husband, but still. Her head snapped up, to find him holding a hand out to her. A moment passed before she took it, allowing him to help her up. "Are you okay?"

"I..." She bit her lip, waiting. "Fiyero?"

He moved past her, making sure the compartment door was locked. "Yes, Fae?"

"Um..." She reached up, playing with a strand of hair nervously. "I... I was just wondering..."

"Wondering what?" He turned to face her.

"If... I... I know that we're married, and so it's... expected, but..." She bit her lip again, thinking. Like many children in the orphanage, she had never been taught the ways of men and women; though she was older, she was still curious, and it had been a constant, embarrassing game of "I'll show you mine if you show me yours", a game she was always too embarrassed to partake in, so she often hid in the small library or up in the attic. And she highly doubted she had been taught before she arrived in the orphanage, if her struggle to get the words out was any indication. Women simply did _not_ discuss the ways of the flesh, as she'd read one of Mistress Morrible's ladies' magazine once. "But are we really going to-"

He furrowed a brow, confused for a moment, before glancing at the bed and realizing what she meant. "Oh! Oh, Lurline, no. Of course not." He moved towards her, reaching up and removing the strand of hair from her grasp, holding her hand lightly in his. His thumb gently stroked her knuckles, and the motion seemed to calm her. Their eyes locked. "Not until you're ready."

She visibly relaxed at that statement. "Really?"

"I'm many things, Fae. But a womanizer, I'm not. When you're ready, then we'll consummate our marriage."

"Thank you, Yero."

He started, surprised at the nickname, but then he smiled, bringing her hand to his lips. "Let's get some sleep."

She climbed into the bed, pressing herself against the wall, waiting for him to join her. He climbed into bed and turned down the light, shifting to face her. They lay in complete silence for several minutes, before she slowly reached out for him. He reached out, meeting her hand in the middle and gently sliding their fingers together. Facing each other, both thinking similar thoughts, the distance between them closed only by their clasped hands. Though they couldn't see each other in the darkness, both were comforted simply by knowing the other was there.

"Fiyero?"

"What is it, Fae? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I... I've never... I've just never... shared a bed with a man before."

"I take it they don't teach you much in those orphanages?"

She shook her head. "Not much. We have to learn on our own."

He scooted closer. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Closer. "That you had to grow up like that."

A shrug. "I showed up there when I was fourteen. I didn't live there my entire life. I must have lived in a good home before that. Right? I mean... I obviously had a home before the orphanage, I just... can't remember."

He closed the gap between them, their hands still linked, tucked between their bodies. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. Her eyes closed instinctively; she could feel the rumble of his chest as he spoke against her fingers. "I'm still sorry that you had to grow up in that orphanage. No child, no matter how old, should have to grow up like that."

She found herself snuggling into his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin. They lay like that for several minutes before Fiyero shifted on his back; she stiffened, before settling against his chest, the smell of his skin wafting to her nose through the material. A contented sigh escaped her lips, and she let sleep take over, the last thought in her mind being,

_For now, at least there's someone holding me safe and warm._


	10. Chapter 10

_"Please, try and stay still, Kauri. Your father will not appreciate it if the portraits come out blurry because you cannot sit still. Why can you not be more like your sisters?"_

_"But these dresses are so heavy!"_

_"They are not that heavy, Nessa. If anything is heavy, it is the poliska we have to wear."_

_"But Elia, the poliska are not heavy at all."_

_"Fabala, you are closest to Nessa in age. Will you please try to get her to stop fidgeting before she ruins the portrait?"_

_"I will not ruin-"_

_"Will you three please be quiet! If Mama comes in and sees us like this, we shall never hear the end of it!"_

_"And there we are, the Governess rears her head again, doesn't she, Raina?"_

_But before another word could be spoken, a flashbulb went off, forever capturing the moment in time._

She awoke, lifting her head from Fiyero's chest. He tightened his grip on her, and shifted in his sleep, pulling her closer. A moment passed as she slowly pushed herself up, being careful not to wake him as she climbed out of bed and stumbled towards the door of the compartment. After several minutes, she made her way to the lavatory, and quickly washed her face, hoping the cold water would wake her up a little more. She leaned against the sink, taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

There was no way those were real- Nessa, Elia, Raina, Fabala? She'd never heard of such names before.

Unless...

She met her reflection's gaze in the mirror. Something flashed before her mind's eye- a young girl, about twelve years of age, with the front end of her hair pulled back to create a poof, and held with a white bow. She wore a light green summer dress with slightly puffed sleeves, and on the outer skin beside each eye, were two diamonds.

She gasped, closing her eyes and shaking her head. When she opened them again, the girl was gone. Quickly, she left the lavatory and returned to their compartment, being careful not to wake Fiyero up as she climbed back into bed beside him. He shifted, slipping an arm around her and pulling her close.

"Fae?... all right?"

All she could do was nod against his chest, curling as close to him as she possibly could. Her small body shook, and it was that that finally woke Fiyero up. Several minutes passed before he fully woke up, but when he did, he reached up and turned on the light, sitting up and gently taking her shoulders.

"Fae, hey, what's wrong? Talk to me."

She met his gaze, swallowing. "I..."

He shook his head, confused. "Did something happen?"

"I... I just... I went to the lavatory to wash my face and..."

"And what? Fae, did you get hurt?" She shook her head. "Then what happened?"

"I... I thought I saw a..."

"A what?"

She bit her lip. "I looked in the mirror and... and there was someone staring back at me, but it wasn't me."

Fiyero gave her a quizzical look. "I don't understand, Fae-"

"It... it wasn't me. It was... it was that girl... that..."

"What girl?"

She pulled away, climbing out of the bed and going to one of the suitcases, where she pulled out the newspaper she'd bought earlier that day. Unfolding it, she returned to him, holding the paper out and pointing to the photograph. In the light, he quickly read the little summary beneath the photograph.

_Young women are still coming forward, claiming to be the dowager empress's middle granddaughter, Grand Princess Elphaba. Though many girls have come forward, the princess is still yet to be found. The dowager empress has raised the reward to eighty-thousand kentals, in the hopes that someone knows something of her missing grandchildren and would be willing to return both the missing grand princess Elphaba and her younger brother, the heir Shell, to her._

He glanced at the photograph- it was a close up of a formal portrait of the young princess and her brother. Both wore beautiful court dress, and they stared at the camera, forever frozen in time- and then glanced up at Fae. "I'm sorry, Fae, I don't understand."

"It was her. I saw her, staring back at me in the mirror!" She shook the paper, pointing frantically at the image of the princess.

"The missing grand princess?"

She nodded. "And I... I've been having these... these weird... dreams or... or visions and... and it's it's always been of... I've been having them since I was... since I arrived at the orphanage..."

He took the paper from her and stood, taking her shoulders and gently sitting her on the bed. "Fae, you need to calm down for me, can you do that?"

"But... but why am I... what if these are... Yero, what's happening to me?"

A moment passed, and he shook his head. "I'm not sure. But I do know that you need to take a deep breath and try to relax, because getting yourself worked up will do nothing but make you sick."

"But... but what... what if those aren't... what if they're... memories or... or..."

He bit his lip, taking a deep breath. A moment passed, before he reached out and took her hands, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles to calm her. "Do you think they are?"

She sniffled. "Are what?"

"Do you think they could be memories? Of your life before you came to the orphanage?"

Several minutes passed, as she seemed to consider what he was suggesting, tears slipping down her cheeks. Could he be right? She had no memory of her life before arriving at the orphanage, no real name or birthdate. She had no idea who her parents were or if she had any siblings, no idea of a home... but these... memories, visions, whatever they were... could they really be, truly be, memories of her time with... with the Fliaanian royal family? And if they were, did that mean... was she really... could she be...

He shrugged, before reaching up to brush the tears off her cheeks. "Fae, you have no idea of what happened to you before the age of fourteen, and no one knows what happened to her. You think whatever family you have could be in the Emerald City, and her only remaining family is in the Emerald City, so-"

She met his gaze before curling into his embrace. "Me? You think that... that _I_ could be Elphaba? Do.. do you really think that... _I_ could be royalty?"

He held her close, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Of course I do."


	11. Chapter 11

She awoke to find herself alone in the compartment; after getting up, she slowly got dressed, glancing out the window. They appeared to be just entering a forest- possibly, they were already in the country of Gillikin. After slipping off to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, she returned to the compartment, grabbing her hairbrush. She sat in silence, absentmindedly brushing her hair, lost in thought in regards to the conversation they'd had last night.

_Was she really the missing grand princess? Could her remaining family really be in the Emerald City?_

She quickly plaited her hair, not hearing the compartment door open up, or Fiyero slip inside. He set a tray down on the nightstand, and she looked up as the scent of coffee reached her nose. A small smile graced her features, which he returned. "Thank you."

He nodded, leaning down to brush a kiss to her lips when he stopped. She waited, eyes closed. It shouldn't have been such a big deal- he'd kissed her after their wedding ceremony; though it was chaste, quick, it was still a kiss. So why was he hesitating now? She was his wife, even if this was only in name only; a sham marriage until he could parade her in front of the dowager empress and get the reward money.

After a moment, he closed the gap between them and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before pulling away.

Another small smile graced her lips, and after a moment, she tied off the end of her braid and picked up the nearest cup, taking a sip. "We could have eaten in the dining car-"

"It's all right, Fae. The car was fairly packed anyway, so I just grabbed a few things and figured we could eat here, where it's quiet."

She nodded in understanding. They sat together in silence, occasionally stealing glances at each other or turning their attention to the window. At one point, he stood, going to the window and lifting the curtain slightly.

"Where are we?"

Without removing his gaze from the trees rushing by he responded,

"The Gillikin."

"Really?" She set her cup down and joined him.

"Mhmm. We're passing through the Great Gillikin Forest now."

"Oh." She turned from the window, noticing the newspaper he'd brought when he stopped by the dining car to get them breakfast. After a moment, she pulled it out, unfolding it. Another headline in regards to the missing royal children. "Yero?" She took a seat on the bed, and he joined her after a moment. "Who's... Glinda Arduenna Upland?"

"What do you mean?"

She held out the newspaper, and he quickly skimmed the heading.

_MISS GLINDA UPLAND IMPLORES TO MEET THE GIRLS FIRST, BEFORE THE DOWAGER EMPRESS;_

_"I CAN IDENTIFY WHETHER A GIRL IS THE GRAND PRINCESS OR NOT, BEING ELPHABA'S CLOSEST FRIEND."_

"Upland... the name sounds really familiar." She turned to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I... I think I remember hearing talk of a Glinda Upland when I was still in the Vinkus. I think- though I'm not sure- but I _think_ her family was close to the _Samraat_ and his family. I think their children grew up together. And it would seem, from this," He took the newspaper from her hands, and quickly scanned the majority of the article. "that Glinda was good friends with the missing princess."

Fae stood, beginning to pace. "So... if... if we meet with her... maybe she could... do you think that she could tell me if I really am the missing princess or not?"

"It's possible."

"And if this Glinda was as close to the missing princess as she claims, then she should be able to tell whether I'm the princess or not, right?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Certainly. It hasn't been that long since the Fliaanian revolution; I'm sure the memories of the girls are still fresh."

"So can we?"

"Can we what, Fae?"

"Can we meet with this Glinda?"

The question stumped him, and he felt his mouth drop in surprise. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say that you wanted to meet with Glinda Upland."

"I do." She returned to her place beside him, taking his hands. "Please, Yero. If... if I am the princess, the this Glinda will be able to tell me if I am, and if I'm not, then... well, at least we'll know. Please? How will we know if we don't at least _try_ to talk to her?"

He sighed, suddenly torn. Here he was, with the girl he'd decided would be able to pass as the missing princess, and yet, he was starting to have doubts, even as she herself was beginning to accept the possibility that she was possibly the missing princess. Wasn't this what he wanted? To get her to along with this... scam? This con? All so he could rake in the reward.. and then what? Would he just walk away? Take the money and run, leaving her to her own devices? But they were married...

"Please, Yero. This could solve the mystery behind my past. Please, say we can at least try and talk to Ms. Upland." A moment passed, before he stood, going to the window. "Isn't this what talked about?" She stood, going to him and turning him to face her. "Yero, if Ms. Upland can help me figure out who I am, then... please, Yero. The article says that she lives in Frottica, that's here in Gillikin, right? Can't we at least _see_ if she'll talk to us? Please?"

He seemed to weigh their options for several minutes- on the one hand, if she wasn't the princess, at least they'd know and could go their separate ways. But on the other hand, if she was the princess...

"All right. We'll see if we can meet with Ms. Upland." She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck in delight. "But, if we're going to try to speak with Ms. Upland, you need to look the part."

"What do you mean?"

He studied her. "You're going to need something besides that green dress. So when we finally pull into the nearest town, we'll stop and get you something else, that way you won't just have to alternate between that dress and what you're wearing now."


	12. Chapter 12

The train pulled into the station at Red Sand a couple days later, and the pair disembarked, catching a car to a nearby hotel. Once settled, they headed down in search of a dress shop, eventually coming across a small shop tucked away, not far off of Main Street. Once they slipped inside, Fae moved away from Fiyero, slipping her hand out of the crook of his arm to wander around.

"Do you see something you like, Miss?"

She turned to the shopkeeper, nodding. "I'd like to try this on, if that's all right?" The shopkeeper took the dress off the hanger and led her to a small dressing area. She slipped behind the curtain, leaving Fiyero to wander among the clothing while he waited.

Once inside the small space, she quickly removed the clothing she wore, and turned to the dress on the hanger. Though simple, it was elegant in its own right; a deep navy blue, it was cut in a sheath style, with little white cap sleeves and and white strip along the hem and waist. She slipped it off the hanger and over her head, smoothing the skirt once it was on before glancing in the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the curtain aside and stepped out, searching for Fiyero. Finding him, she made her way over, tapping him on the shoulder. "Well? What do you think?"

He looked up from the coats he was looking through, blue eyes landing on his wife. She held her hands out, bouncing on the balls of her feet before giving a little twirl to show him the entire dress. "You look lovely, Fae."

She grinned, smoothing the skirt of the dress nervously before dashing back to change. When she returned, the dress on the hanger, she asked, "Do you think it's nice enough to meet Glinda Upland in?"

"You wish to see Miss Upland?" The pair looked up as the shopkeeper rang up the purchase- Fae had also found a pair of black oxford shoes, figuring that her boots would eventually wear out, and it would be nice to have an extra pair of shoes when that finally happened. The young woman nodded.

"Do you know where she lives?"

The older man thought a moment, startled when he noticed the diamonds on either side of the young woman's eyes. "After the revolution, Ms. Upland and her family fled up to Frottica; it's not very far by train. Are you friends of young Ms. Upland?"

Fae bit her lip, glancing at Fiyero, who gently squeezed her hand. After a moment, she nodded. "I've known Ms. Upland since we were mere children, growing up in Fliaan."

"It must have been a while since you've seen her then, what with the revolution disposing of the royals and all."

She glanced at Fiyero, before lifting her chin and straightening her back. Taking a deep breath, she reached into her pocket and pulled out some money; the dress wasn't that expensive, in fact, it was fairly cheap. "Not all of the royals."

The older man accepted the money and counted back her change, but stopped, looking up at her. She blushed, suddenly realizing that both the shopkeeper and Fiyero were staring. "I take it you knew the missing royal children then."

Fae turned to smile at Fiyero, squeezing his hand before turning back to the shopkeeper. In as calm a voice as she could manage, she replied,

"Sir, I _am_ one of the missing royal children." She then nodded her thanks, and slid her arm through her husband's, taking the package with a grateful smile before leaving the shop, leaving the shopkeeper staring after them, his mouth open and his eyes wide in shock.

* * *

They bought a pair of train tickets up to Frottica not long after leaving the shop, and returned to their small hotel room to drop off their purchases and change for dinner. They would catch the next train out to Frottica the next morning.

"Well, how did I do today?" Fae asked, slipping into the oxfords she'd bought and quickly tying the strings on the heeled shoes. "Could I pass for the missing princess?" Fiyero stayed eerily quiet, as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and pulled on his coat. "Yero?" She stood once done, and moved towards him, breaking his concentration. "Yero, what's wrong? Was I not good enough?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry, Fae. No, no, you were fine. I just..." He stopped, meeting her gaze before grabbing his wallet and slipping it into his coat pocket. "Never mind. Let's go get dinner, shall we?" He allowed her to take his arm, before leading her out of the room and downstairs to the small restaurant. The green dress she wore caused quite a few heads to turn, once they were seated.

"Do you think we'll really get to talk to her? Miss Upland?" Fae asked, once they'd ordered and sat waiting for their drinks. He met her gaze across the table, giving her a small smile.

"Possibly."

"Yero, if these flashes I'm having are memories of... of the royal family, then wouldn't that mean I really am the princess?"

He sighed, nodding to the waiter as he set their drinks down, before reaching out and taking a sip of his. He put his thoughts together carefully, before speaking, though she didn't give him the chance.

"And if I'm really the princess, then you'll be doing what you promised- taking me to the Emerald City to find my family. And... if Glinda recognizes me, then... then I'm one step closer, aren't I?"

He nodded. "To finding your family." His whisper was soft, and not lost on Fae. But before she could say anything, their meals arrived, and they fell into the familiar silence of eating.

The next morning, when they caught the train up to Frottica, all of Red Sand was talking about the missing grand princess, and how she'd spent the night in town with a mysterious young man, on their way to see Ms. Glinda Upland.


End file.
